One dead after fire, gunshots at home

STOCKTON - Homicide detectives, evidence technicians and arson investigators were still processing a complex crime scene Sunday morning after gunshots erupted and a fire broke out in the overnight hours on a residential street in south Stockton, authorities said.

STOCKTON - Homicide detectives, evidence technicians and arson investigators were still processing a complex crime scene Sunday morning after gunshots erupted and a fire broke out in the overnight hours on a residential street in south Stockton, authorities said.

Dispatchers began receiving numerous reports of a structure fire about 12:30 a.m. in the 300 block of West Seventh Street, just north of Mattie Harrell Park and east of Interstate 5, police said. Over the next few minutes, they received additional reports of fireworks, gunshots or explosions inside the residence, officials said.

When officers and firefighters arrived, they saw fire at the front of the house and located a 36-year-old man who had been shot in the head in a detached garage behind the home, said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Silva said. His name has not been released.

Investigators believe multiple gunmen opened fire on the house, leaving numerous shell casings. The shooting is believed to be gang related, Silva said.

"So far, this investigation has revealed that this house and these people were targeted," Silva said. "We believe there were multiple shooters, so there's a lot of evidence here at the scene that needs to be processed.

"There are several different areas in the street that evidence technicians are processing. With these types of cases, we have to slow down the investigation and do a very thorough search of the area to make sure all the evidence is accounted for and processed."

Two mattresses were burning near the front of the house when authorities arrived, but it took a few minutes for officers to secure the scene before firefighters and medics could move in, officials said. The fire caused only minimal damage to the home, said Ralph Ibarra, chief's operator for the Stockton Fire Department.

"We arrived on the scene and had fire showing at the front door and the front windows," Ibarra said. "Simultaneously, there ended up being some police activity, so we backed off momentarily, but we were still able to knock the fire down within the first 10 minutes."

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Ibarra said. West Seventh Street remained closed between South Lincoln and South Monroe streets Sunday morning. Investigators do not have a description of the gunmen, Silva said.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377, the Investigations Unit at (209) 937-8323 or Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $10,000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Cellphone users can text information to 274637 (CRIMES) by entering the keyword "TIPSPD" followed by their tip. Facebook users can visit the Police Department's page and click "Submit a Tip."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or janderson@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @Stockton911.